Garment-support.



Patented lun 25, I901.

GARMENT SUPPORT.

(Application filed 1m. 21, 1901.

(lo Iodel.)

UNITED STATES I PATENT FFICE.

EDWARD S. KEEFER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

GARMENT-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,233, dated June 25, 1901.

Application filed March 21, 1901. erial No. 52,176. (No model.)

Q79 CbZZ whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. KEEFER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in garment-supporters, and has for its object to provide a device of this character of a very simple and inexpensive nature which shall be especially adapted for use in supporting the lower edges of trousers at the heel, so as to keep them from becoming wet and draggled from rain or mud.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved garment-supporter, whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully set out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my improvements, Figure 1 is a view drawn to a small scale and showing my improved supporter as it appears in use applied to the rear or heel portion of a shoe. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the improved supporter detached and enlarged. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the device, as shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through the rear or heel portion of a shoe and showing the improved supporter as it appears when inserted in the shoe and engaged with the lower edge portion of the trousers.

As herein shown, the improved garmentsupporter is formed from a metal strip or wire 1 of suitable strength and temper, and said wire or strip, as shown in the drawings, is bent at its central portion to produce a circular bight or loop 2, beyond which the end portions of the wire or strip are extended parallel with one another, as shown at 3 3, and beyond the said parallel portions 3 the extremities of the wire or strip 1 are inclined away from each other, as shown at 5 5, and

curved or bent rearwardly back from the' plane in which the end portions 5 5 lie, so as to produce at their junctures with the said end portions5 5 sharp bends or shoulders 4 4, and the upper ends of the parallel portions 3 are extended forwardly to their junctures with the central loop or bight 2, and said loop or bight is bent or curved transversely in such a way as to cause it to stand in front of the plane in which the end portions 5 5 are extended, and thus presents a convex surface at the front side of the device over which the edge of the trousers may be readily passed to engage it with the supporter.

In applying the device to the shoe for use the outwardly-inclined and pointed end portions 5 5 are first pressed together, so as to cause their points 6 to stand in line with the parallel portions 3 3, the said end portions 5 being of sufficient resilience to admit of such bending, and afterward the said pointed extremities 6 are passed through the leather at the heel portion of the shoe w, as shown in Fig. 4, down between said leather and the counter or stiffener at the heel of the shoe, the device being pressed down into the shoe until the entire lengths of the end portions 5 5 are within the shoe, the shoulders4 4 acting as stops to prevent further entry of the device. When thus inserted in the shoe, the improved supporter is securely held in place by the resilience of the end portions 5 5, which causes them to separate and stand in their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 2. Should it be desired, however, the improved supporter may be readily detached from the shoe by exerting merelya strong pull thereon, When thus applied to the shoe, the parallel portions 3 3 and the forwardly bent or flarroo ciently above the ground to prevent it from dragging in the mud or slop. The clasp thus formed is adapted to securely hold the lower edge of the trousers-leg by reason of the forward bend imparted to the loop 2, which serves as a sort of clamp to grip the trousersleg between itself and the heel portion of the shoe. lhe edge of the trousers is readily insertible in the clamp thus formed, and when desired is also readily removable therefrom, it being only necessary when it is desired to release the trousers to slightly lift or draw upon the rear portion of the trousers-leg to withdraw .the said lower edge from the supporter. When the supporter is not in use, the loop 2 is held pressed closely adjacent to the heel portion of the shoe 00, so that it offers no protrusion sulficient to catch on or to materially wear the trousers, the lower edge of which slips down over the supporter and entirely hides the same when not in use,

From the above description it will be seen that the improved supporter is of an extremely simple and inexpensive nature and is especially well adapted for use by reason of the ease with which it permits the trousers to be supported or lowered and of its ready applicability to the shoes for use. It will also be obvious from the above description that the improved supporter is capable of some modification without material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A supporter for the lower edges of trousers consisting of a metal wire or strip having a central loop produced in it and having beyond said loop parallel rearwardly-bent portions and, beyond said rearwardly-beut portions, divergent downwardly extended and pointed extremities adapted to penetrate a shoe, said wire or loop having sharp bends or shoulders produced in it at the j unctures of the rearwardly-bent portions with the divergent extremities, said shoulders being adapted to engage outside the shoe to limit the entry of the pointed extremities, substantially as set forth.

2. A supporter for the lower edges of tron-- sers consisting of a part adapted to engage the outside of the lower edge of the trousers to hold the same raised and having at its lower end elastic divergent and downwardly-directed extremities adapted to be pressed toward each other to permit them to be inserted in the heel portion of a shoe and by their elasticity to separate them when so inserted in the shoe to hold the supporter attached to the shoe, said part having at the upper ends of the divergent extremities sharp bends or shoulders for engagement outside the shoe to limit the entry of the extremities into the shoe, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 16th day of March, 1901.

EDWARD S. KEEFER. NVitnesses:

W. H. ARMSTRONG, J OHN ELIAS JoNEs. 

